


Nostalgia

by anothersouladrift



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Darcy takes Steve to church, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-20
Updated: 2013-04-20
Packaged: 2017-12-08 23:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/767506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anothersouladrift/pseuds/anothersouladrift
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy's homesick, and figures Steve might be too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nostalgia

Steve ran a towel over his torso, drying off after his shower. A knock sounded at the door. Steve pulled on some sweatpants and hurried towards the door, still slightly damp. He tugged the door open without bothering to check the peephole. He lived in Stark Tower, security here was tight enough that he didn’t have to worry.

“Darcy!” Steve said, surprised at who he found. He had said hello to her a few times since her and Doctor Foster had moved in, but they had yet to have an actual conversation.

“Uh, hey Steve.” Darcy said quietly, slowly pulling her eyes off his still damp chest and turned them to his face. She smiled. “You’re Catholic, right?”

Steve nodded, and tried not to let his surprise show at her question. “ Yeah, the nuns raised me after my parents died.” He gestured for Darcy to come in.

Darcy nodded as if she was just confirming something. Then she asked him, “Do you want to go to church with me?”

“Uh…” Steve was indecisive for a moment. He hadn’t gone to church since before he had enlisted. Sister Marie’s stern face popped into mind suddenly. “Uh, sure I’ll go. When..?” Steve trailed off questioningly.

“Right now.” Darcy answered. “You don’t think I dress this nice just to hang out at the tower do you?” She said, gesturing to her dress.

Steve noticed what she was wearing for the first time. A pale blue dress, that hugged her from her shoulders to her waist, and then flared out. She had on heels too. “You always look nice Darcy. Give me a second to get dressed.” Steve strode into his bedroom, not noticing the look on Darcy’s face.

When Steve came out he was wearing a pair of khaki slacks, and a white button up shirt with a dark blue tie. “Is this okay? He asked, unsure what the expectations were for church in this time. “Perfect.” Darcy answered.

As they walked to church, (it wasn’t far from the Tower, she said) Darcy told Steve that she had a confession. “I haven’t believed in God for a long time.”

He looked down at her, obviously startled at her admission.

“Then why…?”

“I just go to church when I feel homesick. Or stressed out. It’s like my own form of meditation. It’s like coming home, you know? Churches have that same feeling, no matter where you are. And then the mass, well there are little changes from place to place, but overall it’s just nice to feel something so familiar every once in a while.”

Steve nodded. He knew about being homesick. Even before the accident, he had missed Brooklyn when he was overseas.

When they got to the church, a middle sized chapel, with stained glass windows and high ceilings, Darcy blessed herself and headed down the aisle. Steve followed suit. Darcy stopped at the farthest back pew. A small, elderly woman was seated on the end.

 “Hello Darcy, nice to see you.” The woman said.

“Hello Margaret. How are you today?”

“Oh fine, fine, you know me. Who is your friend?” She gestured to Steve.

“This is Steve.” Darcy turned to face him. “This is Margaret.”

“Pleased to meet you ma’am.” Steve said, extending his hand. Margaret surprised him, instead of just placing her hand in his, shook it firmly.

She stage whispered to Darcy, “I didn’t know they made ‘em like this anymore.”

Steve felt the tips of his ears turn red.

Darcy laughed and whispered back conspiratorially, “They don’t.”

They said goodbye and made their way down the aisle, stopping at a pew about half way. Darcy stepped into the pew, followed by Steve. Darcy bent to open the kneeler, but Steve beat her to it. Darcy smiled at him, and then knelt down. Steve knelt beside her.

Steve was a bit surprised when the mass began and the Priest was speaking English. Just another change to adjust to, but this was a good change. The mass in English was more engaging than the mass in Latin had ever been. Steve followed along in the missal. He was surprised when they started singing, and Darcy leant over his arm to read from the hymnal. He hadn’t known that she could sing, but she obviously was very talented.

Darcy relaxed as the familiarity of the ritual washed over her. She had been feeling particularly stressed out the last week; it had triggered a severe bout of homesickness, and this mass was helping her to let it go. She felt Steve watching her as she sang along to the hymns. She turned her face towards him. He was backlit from the light coming in through the stained glass windows.

God, he was kinda beautiful.

When it was time for communion, he surprised her by stepping out in the aisle, and then gesturing for her to walk in front of him. Darcy smiled up at him again, and stepped out. Darcy didn’t take communion, as she was no longer a practicing Catholic, but she did let the priest bless her. She turned and began to walk back to her pew and she noticed that Steve hadn’t taken communion either. Why would Steve not take communion? He was a hero, and probably the most decent human being, ever.

After church, Darcy took Steve out for breakfast. She didn’t even realize her intention until they arrived at a small diner though, because it was just something that her family always did. Go to church, go out to breakfast. After they ordered, Steve told Darcy about how when he was an altar boy they had to be able to recite a section of the mass in Latin, just you and one other boy. Darcy told him about nearly dropping the cross the first time she served. He should have been surprised at the church allowing girls to serve, but he wasn’t really.

“So were there too many changes for you?” Darcy asked, almost like she was reading his mind.

“No, not really. I like most of them, like mass being in English, and people actually having money to give to the church. Other things though….” Steve trailed off.

“Other things?” Darcy asked.

“Well, like how someone’s cell phone went off in the middle of Father’s homily.”

Darcy nodded.

“Or how some people wear jeans?”

Darcy laughed at that, but kept nodding. “But it still felt familiar enough for you?”

Steve thought for moment. It had felt familiar. In a strange way, that Steve couldn’t quite put his finger on, but it truly had. He nodded at Darcy.

Her face broke out into a large smile.

When they got back to the Tower, they parted ways, but not before Darcy told Steve,

“If you ever get homesick, just let me know, and I’ll take you to church.” 


End file.
